A Tale of Two Warriors: Iron Lily
by Hyperbole Westingate
Summary: Sarcastic and botanically inclined are not qualities generally assigned to the same person, but then, Spec Ops agent Ryoku Zaio isn't most people. After a grueling three months in the Equalist POW camps, Zaio won her freedom, but amidst the splinters of her shattered spirit, she made a choice: to take down Amon once and for all, even if that meant leaving the one person she loved.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Ha ha... oh dear, there is an extra horizontal line, isn't there? ah well, this is my first story so... I'm still figuring all this fancy uploading stuff out. Let's see, as I said, this is my first story, I would dearly love reviews. Constructive criticism is better than cake, but not by much. I take great liberties with the world of Legend of Korra, for instance, I like to make up swear words, and places and ethnicities and all sorts of things, it's my favorite part of writing stories. If you don't like such things, don't read- I insert new characters and new geographical locations everywhere. I also play around with the structure of the United Forces navy/ command establishment and stuff like that. Whoa! the extra line went away! Fantastic! Ahem *feels embarrassed about newbie-ness* sorry... Without further ado:

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Chapter One-

_Time: Present, c__irca Episode 2_

_Location: Back alleys of Republic City_

Somewhere in the back alleyways of Republic City, a young woman named Ryoku Zaio was running for her life. Specifically, she was sprinting, and what a lovely sprint it was! It was all dynamic long-legged-ness and a muscular athleticism borne of frequent use and the harsh combat training of the Fire Nation Navy Spec-Ops Academy (commonly known as Spook School). Not that her pursuers were in any position to appreciate the graceful qualities of their quarry, after all, they just wanted their seeds back. Yes, seeds, the normal kind, not some sort of oddly named rare drug. These particular seeds did happen to have a street-value in certain circles equal to that of the opiate produced by the rare _marius papaveraceae, _or the coveted sea-poppy, commonly cultivated by the southern division of the Bloody Tide mafia. Regardless, our girl Ryoku was under no circumstances going to let the Agni Ki henchmen following her anywhere near her newly acquired seeds. Had the henchmen known the true identity of their "prey" they certainly would have left her very well alone and gone back to their day jobs, but as it was, they pressed on like plucky little pit-bulls with odd tattoos.

Each breath burned through Rio's lungs like smoke. _How did I get so out of shape? _She wondered, as she hurdled over a trash can and kicked it down to slow the hench-hounds. The small paper bag clasped in her left hand crinkled slightly, as if mocking her chances of escape.

"Oh what do you know, anyway?" Rio retorted breathlessly, "I've outrun rebel guerilla fighters from Macaca!"

_That was when you were in top condition Silly_ was the bag's snarky reply.

"Shut up, I'm saving your lives here!" at some point, Ryoku had given up trying not to talk to plants. Wasn't it obvious that the squashes needed a couple compliments to boost their self-esteem? And surely anyone could agree that the orchids could benefit from a dose of reality. The seeds in particular needed a good tongue-lashing to teach them respect.

She rounded another corner and ran smack into a dead-end. Had she been able to breathe deeply enough, she probably would've cursed the air as blue as a Royal Blue Sikahn Lily, but all Rio could manage was a wheezy "schparken" as she pivoted and sprinted back the way she had come. The hench-hounds didn't know what had hit them as Rio shot through their sweaty and panting ranks. Half-heartedly, two-thirds began running doggedly after the slim girl with a paper bag, while the remainder fell over and gave up.

As she rushed forward, Rio was glad that it was the Agni Ki who were in pursuit, the Red Monsoons would have iced the road by now, and the Triple Threats could've blocked her off with some earth-bending. As a plus, fire-bending lost some of its potency as soon as the bender could no longer synchronize breathing with striking, not that the average gangbanger had that kind of training anyway. Rio's mouth was just about set in a victory grin when she was tackled sideways into a nearby basket vender's stall.

The high-quality baskets prevented a concussion on the hard stone ground, but she lost the seeds in the mass of brown stalks. The garishly tattooed Agni Ki fighter yelled obscenities as he went for a sickeningly obvious wide right hook. Ryoku skittered to the side, squirming awkwardly across the baskets, and locked her ankles around the man's neck, rolling over to flip him into the ground. Any self-respecting spook could handle a gorilla twice their size in a street fight, and Ryoku was a first-rate spook. She aimed a leg drop to the side of the head, using the motion to bound over the man and back on her feet. She bent over to look for the seeds just in time to dodge a whip of fire aimed towards her head. Well, schparken, there was another one. Rio turned to face the Agni Ki reinforcement,

"You okay, Ri Li?" he bellowed, fire burning in both hands, "Hang in there brother, Fire Breathing Fa-Zhou will restore your honor!" He took a deep breath, preparing to spit flame.

There was a crowd drawing, and Rio was torn between beating the idiot senseless, finding her seeds, and wailing for help like a proper helpless citizen. Fortunately the decision was decided by a tall figure with a tasteful red scarf. He countered the poor man's breath attack, and punched him into a nearby wall, leaving a sooty outline as the gangbanger slowly peeled off and fell to the ground.

Mako turned around and saw Rio standing amid a pile of crushed baskets. She took a step back, as if she were afraid, and he hurriedly spouted "It's okay, you're safe now" which was probably one of the stupidest things he could have blurted, because no one was safe in the depths of the Ginger Orchid slum, where pickpockets were known to use clubs.

Rio began dusting herself off, easily assuming her current false identity, "Are you, like, brainily impaired or something? This is a slum"

Mako was unamused, "You know, a thank you is generally given right about now"

"Thanks for what? We're probably both going to get jumped on the way home now, hotshot" Rio flipped her hair; an action she was mortally afraid would become a habit.

"What's your problem, anyway? I just saved your life!" Mako snapped. It had been a long day, he still hadn't found anything worth being Bolin's Midwinter gift for a decent price (meaning skinflint, because they were both broke) and now there was a prissy girl yelling at him for saving her from a six-foot gang banger.

"Life shmife" she retorted, "I would've been fine, and now I've lost my package!" Rio bent, sorting through the flattened baskets. The seeds had to be there somewhere.

"What, this?" Mako picked up a brown paper bag off of the ground. It was light, _I'll bet she's some sort of addict_. He thought pityingly, _it sure explains the weird twitching habit. _

"Yeah, hand it over!" Ryoku stuck out her hand, palm up, and wiggled her fingers

"No way, I can't believe I just tangled with the Agni Ki to help some drug addict!"

"It's not drugs, Ferretface!" Rio flicked her hair again, "they're seeds, so give them back"

"Seeds?" Mako looked in the bag, it was filled with small, shiny black seeds. Bolin liked seeds, well, specifically, he liked plants… kind of. And he liked surprises, seeds could be surprises. "Okay, these are mine now, thanks"

"You can't just _take _those, you moron! I worked really hard for them!"

Mako spun on heel, chivalry was all well and good, but obviously the shrew could take care of herself if the gargantuan on the ground drooling was any indication.

"Yeah, well I worked _really hard_ to save you, so later"

he waved sarcastically. Upon later reflection, he decided it was one of his more grumpy moments in life, but what can you do? No one had ever accused him of being sweet, except for Bolin, or maybe Korra…

Once his cocky form had retreated out of sight, Ryoku spun and punched the sooty wall bad-naturedly, her temper thoroughly ruined. Because the only thing Ryoku hated worse than playing helpless, was being helpless, and now she had lost her seeds. They were probably telling Mako all of her secrets too, like the fact that she wasn't actually a professional gardener. That had been a lie to get her onto to Air Temple Island, though spirits knew she could garden like one. Or maybe they were spilling their carbon-based insides about how she acquired all of her rare seeds on the black market because it was cheaper. At least she knew they would keep their seedy mouths shut about her status as an ex-spook, seeds had a funny sense of loyalty like that.

She set off down the street, absent-mindedly kicking the baskets out of her way. She wasn't sure how to explain to Tenzin why she would suddenly need an exorbitant amount of money for another bag of seeds she should have already acquired legally. She sighed, thinking she could say she had been mugged, which technically she had, just not violently. Rio would be the first to admit that she didn't really _look_ like the hapless victim of a mugging though. She could sell the performance, just your average hysterics and gasping and basic terrified-ness, but looking the part was another matter entirely. She sighed again, what she needed was some authentic bruising… and some seeds.


	2. Chapter 2

_Twelve years ago_

_United Forces preliminary training grounds_

A boy with black hair and amber eyes stood amidst the crowd of new students surrounding the United Forces training facility. It was one of the hardest of schools, boasting almost certain advancement to the United Forces Officer's academy, for those that didn't wash out that is… Traditionally, the students were the progeny of the upper class and lingering nobility, though there were a few scholarships given out every year. The boy was no different: in fact his lineage was legendary, given that he was the fifth son of the Fire Lady and the Lord Consort. Called Iroh the Younger by those wishing to flatter him and his grandparents, he had specifically chosen the plainest cheapest clothes in his wardrobe for this day, and as such, he blended in nicely with the rest of the assorted young teens of stature. He had a regal bearing with a direct gaze and an easy smile, but this was camouflaged by the stiff necked posturing of the insecure. Certainly, those unfamiliar with him would merely note the precocious presence of the fourteen year old, and mutter good naturedly to themselves that he would certainly go far in life, a strapping young man like that.

The fourteen year old in question was noting the anomaly of someone dressed in blue across the courtyard. She was quietly sitting on the lip of one of the large raised flower patches that dotted the courtyard. A sketchpad was balanced precariously in her lap, she was seemingly unconcerned by the rowdy din of children around her. As Iroh advanced, he saw that while well made, her simple blue dress and darker blue leggings were well-worn and in need of new hems. The ivory embroidery marking her as a member of the Water Tribe was intricate but equally worn. Her hair was what intrigued him though, a long raven-black mass that flowed over her shoulders until it was collected by a beautiful ivory tie, consigning it to a thick meticulously woven braid. Beads captured the loose strands and plaited them back into the whole; they shone in the weak autumn sun. Her skin was a proper Water Tribe chocolate, and her eyes were as gray as thunderclouds. Only her hair denoted her status as what those crass enough would call a half-breed (now quickly, go wash out your eyes before they burn), or a child of mixed parentage.

"Hello, what are you drawing?" Iroh began pleasantly, but his polite conversation was cut off as the girl immediately sprang from her position and bowed deeply, so that her nose was perpendicular to the ground. His composure slightly ruffled by the silent display of fealty, he couldn't manage anything close to a reply.

"Look, either acknowledge the bow, or walk away, people are going to stare if we keep on like this," the girl said neutrally.

"I… um…" Iroh stole a glance, no one was staring just yet, "I… acknowledge your bow…"

"Very good, Sire." The girl promptly seated herself on the stone bench, retrieving her sketch pad- she still hadn't looked at Iroh.

"You don't really have to do that now, since we're all just students…" Iroh said awkwardly as he sat beside her, attempting to look at her sketchpad.

"I know, but if I got out of practice I'd catch sinska from my father," the girl said

"How did you know who I was anyway?" Iroh was a little annoyed: he'd planned to be entirely inconspicuous just to avoid these sorts of situations.

She snorted in a very un-lady-like fashion, "Are you kidding me? All of the servants know who you are."

Well, that explained the bow anyways. Much to Iroh's discomfiture, most of the old practices from the Imperial era still hung around, like inordinate shows of respect from servants.

"You're a servant?" Iroh was impressed, she had to be on scholarship for something, having been unsuccessful in peeking at her drawing, he couldn't be sure it was art.

"A slave more like," she answered sardonically, "I don't get paid, and my father gets all the credit."

"Oh… well, I'm Iroh, it's nice to meet you." He proffered a hand, which she took, gingerly.

"Ryoku," she murmured

"uh… do you mind if I ask…"

"It was my grandfather's name," Ryoku replied, "He was a fire-bender of some skill, and much beloved of my mother."

Iroh said, "That's nice, I guess" and they lapsed into silence. He checked his pocket-watch: there was a quarter hour until noon, when the admittance would start. "Do you mind if I look at your drawing?"

"It's not really finished yet, but…. Okay" Ryoku slid the sketchpad over to him, it was a drawing of a lily, rendered in exquisite detail.

"This is really good!" Iroh ran a hand down the paper, almost expecting to feel the petals of a black and white lily.

"Thanks, but I can only draw flowers" Ryoku took the paper back.

"You draw flowers better than I can draw anything" Iroh bestowed a grin upon her, meeting her eyes for the first time. They dark and still like a cold pond reflecting a winter sky.

She shrugged looking away, before suddenly asking "Why are you here?"

It took Iroh by surprise "Why is anyone here? I want to get into officer's school"

She shook her head, the beads glinting as they moved, "Then why do you want to get into officer's school?"

"I guess…" Iroh wasn't quite sure how to vocalize something that had been a desire of his since the time he learned to play chess, "I want to be better"

"Why the military then?"

That question was easy "What's the point of freedom if nobody protects it? There are thousands of Fire Nation citizens willing to risk their lives for our country- the royal family should be no different"

"Didn't Mao already go? And Zekan?"

"They went into the army, I want to branch out"

She smiled then, faintly, "I see, you are like a snow-bell"

"A what?"

"A spring flower that blooms under the snow" she looked at him, a gleam of humor warming her eyes, "It wanted to branch out"

"Why are you here then, scholarship student?" She seemed taken aback by the teasing title.

Her eyes grew distant as her gaze slid from his. "It's complicated"

Just then, the bell at the top of the school rang furiously, brassy notes clanging to life in its insides before slowly reverberating outwards to roll through the school's grounds. The students would come to equate the bell with food as it rang at five in the morning, at every meal (six o'clock, twelve o'clock and six o'clock respectively) and then again at nine at night to signal lights out.

"It seems we're being admitted" commented Iroh as he stood, stretching all of his five foot five inch frame.

"Yes…" Ryoku put her sketchpad away in the brown messenger bag collapsed on the ground. She hefted it to her shoulder, as they walked forward, queuing with the rest of the new recruits.

A severe woman with gray hair and brown eyes walked out of the school. Her back was as straight as steel post, and her gaze looked as if it could cut marble. She was fit despite her age, dressed in old military fatigues. Her name was Staff Sergeant Greta Holberson, and there were rumors that she had been forcefully retired from the battlefield for the chronic use of unnecessary force.

"Listen up recruits!" she roared, the bellow needing no amplification. The apprehensive masses were shocked into silence.

"You will split into four lines: water-benders, fire-benders, earth-benders and non-benders! Then you will be put into barracks. After three months…" She smiled a dangerous smile "if you're still here, you'll be put into platoons for further training"

There was silence, until the woman clapped her hands imperiously, "What are you waiting for you jelly-spined slugs! I gave you an order!"

As the recruits scrambled to the four available desks marked by blue, red, green, and gray sashes respectively, she was seen sigh and remark to the hulking man beside her "We'll be lucky to get anything worthwhile out of _this_ lot"

The large dark-skinned man shrugged pleasantly, the scar running down his face turning a smile into a half-grimace "You always say that, Greta"

"And I'm always right" she turned and marched through the doors, "But, we have been consistently lucky haven't we?" She paused only to snarl "Stand straight recruit!" at a poor blonde boy who had ventured past the earth-bending table. He fainted but was caught in the nick of time by a friend who was made of somewhat sterner stuff.

"We'll really need it this year," Greta sniffed, her eyes catching on the figure of Prince Iroh the Second, as he waited, a red sash tied around his waist. "But we might have couple who are worth it, eh?"

Iroh inspected the card that the stern young clerk had given him. It read simply: "barrack C" in plain black ink. He was so absorbed in looking for a rendezvous point that he very nearly crashed into a small body engaged in the same activity.

"Hey- oh, I'm sorry," Ryoku stuttered, face to face with the prince yet again.

"Look, if we're going to keep running into each other, you'll need to start calling me Iroh" he chuckled picking up the paper she had dropped, "Barrack H, huh?"

"I believe they're splitting the girls and boys up: girls are barracks E-H m- uh, Iroh" Ryoku took her card back.

Iroh leaned in conspiratorially "I hear the first three months is to weed out the weak of heart."

She tilted her head in response, "But even palm trees survive typhoons, and they barely have roots."

He raised an eloquent eyebrow, "You're a strange one for sure. Do you speak anything but plant?"

"No" Ryoku turned, flashing him a quick smile "You can blame my father, he's the head gardener" she waved goodbye as she headed over to the numerous gray buildings surrounding the courtyard "See you later… Snow-bell."

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A/N: Some hidden past intrigue! Hope you enjoyed it...


	3. Chapter 3

_Present, circa episode 2 _

_Port of Beluga, Sedi's Bar and Grill_

General Iroh of the Fire Nation Navy, commander of F.N.S. Western Sun was in a seedy bar on shore leave when he realized he was in love with a dead girl. He sighed, peering into the murky recesses of his drink as one hand traced the leather necklace under the collar of his shirt. She had given it to him; before she left for the first time. She was always leaving him, he realized, and he had always been waiting for her, until it was his turn to leave. But when he had left her behind, she hadn't had a chance to wait, and he hadn't been able to come back for her. He took a swift gulp of the drink, grimacing as it slid down his throat. Now something was missing, and he knew he could never get it back, could never get _her _back. Burning Amon was the closest he could come. He stood, winked at the waitress and walked out, heading back for his ship. He felt nothing like happiness after his first shore leave in three weeks, because nine months ago, Ryoku Zaio had left him for the last time, and he could never catch up, not even if he sailed for the rest of his life.

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O.o intrigue! And boy, have I gotten this whole horizontal line thing down! Please keep reading, and review!


	4. Chapter 4

_Present, circa episode 2_

_Air Temple Island_

Tenzin steepled his fingers, breathing gustily into the silence

"Do you want to explain why your left eye is a spectacular purple color, Miss Iyaka?"

Really, it was more of mauve color, bleeding into a dusty blue near her left cheekbone. Somewhere inside of her trembling shell, Rio smiled smugly to herself: the bar fight had gone exceeding well, if escaping with a brilliant black eye, and an interesting cut to one triceps could be called exceeding well. The added swearing hadn't been an issue: she had spent a good deal of time with sailors after all.

"W-well, sir, I w-was going to get some s-seeds for the g-garden and-" she gulped and blinked "And, I was mugged! I'm s-so s-sorry sir! They g-got the seeds, a-and now I-I'll have to find s-some more!"

Tenzin liked to think of himself as a very tranquil man, at peace with himself and the world. Unfortunately tranquility didn't do one lick of good when confronted by a young gardener who was still shaking from some horribly traumatic mugging. He rubbed his face with one hand, wondering what was happening to his beloved Republic City.

"Look, it's going to be okay. I'll get Pema, and we'll look after your eye" he started sympathetically, and the poor girl burst into tears.

"Y-you're so kind!" she sniffled, "It's- it's okay, really, I c-can find some other seeds"

"It's not about the seeds. Trust me, Miss Iyaka; I am as excited for the elements garden as you are, but not at the expense of my workers"

Schparken, Rio thought as she sniffed, he's not chickening out now is he? I _need_ this job!

Tenzin straightened himself, reaching for a notebook on his desk, "Now, how far will this set us back?"

"Oh, only a week or so" Rio projected, darn that Mako! "Maybe a week and a half tops"

"Only?"

"I should be able to find some more seeds"

"Good, now, go see my wife and take care of that eye"

"yes sir, you're so kind!" He breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't resume crying.

Ryoku exited the office, sliding the beautifully lacquered door shut quietly. She chuckled quietly as she blotted her eyes. "Works every time" her smile fell slightly as she remembered when she had had occasion to use her acting skills, and the reasons for leaving it behind. She walked down the long hardwood pathway leading towards the gardens. After two rights and a left, she was deep within an enclosed meditation garden, one of almost twenty on the island. The wood and paper buildings were obscured by climbing vines that acted as soundproofing, a small meandering path led from the wood walkway through the courtyard and back into one of the main gardens. Moss crawled over the flat stones that covered the path, becoming a soft padding underfoot as she ducked through a screen of soft Kaijin crawling feather vines*. The thick junipers and tea trees surrounding the small glassy pond chattered in the breezes that continually flowed over the island. Rio sat by the pond, peering at her reflection.

She had a heart-shaped face, with the high cheekbones and almond shaped eyes of the water

nation. She had her father's stormy gray eyes and stubborn chin, and her mother's café au lait skin, her straight rather long nose, and her eloquent eyebrows. Her hair was a thick unruly glossy brown, so dark as to appear black until it was set on fire by errant sun beams, bringing out the golden-brown or auburn strands. She twisted the curly locks back into a ponytail, uselessly pushing back the bangs that escaped. The black eye was a riot of color, now that it had faded over a day, mauve, blue, and the odd patch of sickly green. Her reflection was shattered as she dipped her hand into the water, cooling her fingers before lifting them to her eye. Rio lay back on the moss, staring at the sky while the pond water soothed the slight throbbing of her bruised face. Black eyes weren't anything new to Ryoku, but she hadn't spent any personal time with them in a while. Her nose wavered slightly now, ever since she had been clocked in the beak by a tough as nails rock bender. She still limped whenever it was about to snow heavily from a mission two years ago. All things considered, she had escaped life as a special ops agent with a minimum of injuries. Her life had been quiet for almost nine months now, no more combat, no more midnight stealth missions, no more early morning sigils waiting for her team to wake up. Indeed, her life had been very quiet in the nine months after her death…

"What'cha doin'?" Korra bounded through the vines, taking the peaceful silence and stomping on it until it resembled something halfway between a saxophone** and a strangled songbird.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Rio sat up, brushing moss off of her red and yellow uniform.

"Um… lying on the ground"

"Exactly" Ryoku lapsed back into a reflective silence

"Why are you covering your eye?"

"It's bruised" she lifted her hand to show Korra the injury, eliciting a sympathetic hiss, "do you need anything?"

"No. I was just avoiding Tenzin, if I have to do one more air-bending form today; someone is going to get hurt."

"I see"

"Why is your eye bruised?"

"I got in a bar fight on the way home last night"

Korra snorted, "Yeah right" she flopped next to Ryoku, "what's up with you anyway? You're all quiet, and you haven't flipped your ponytail yet"

Ryoku shrugged, contemplating the sky, "I lost some seeds… I feel bad for them now"

"That sounds more like you. So how did you really bruise your eye?"

"I was walking back from the garden market and got mugged. They stole the seeds"

"Oh, I'm sorry" Korra summoned some water from the pond, "I can heal it if you'd like"

"Sure" Rio sat still as the water glowed blue and covered her eye. The healing chill bit deep into her skin, sinking into the bones around her eye as it healed the trauma. "Don't worry about it Korra. It was a bad part of town- I should have been on guard"

"It's still not okay. You're my friend, and I'm the avatar, stuff like this shouldn't happen" Korra removed the water, revealing a newly healed eye.

"Thanks Korra" Ryoku stood swiftly, "Don't be going on a vigilante rage now, okay? And… if you're really avoiding Tenzin, I could use some weed minions"

"Weeding?" Korra weighed her options. "Fine, I'll do it"

Rio smiled, "And I might need some terracing done too, would you mind taking care of that for me? And some watering?" Oh how she loved being able to press the avatar into service, it was a three in one deal.

"Fine" Korra slumped; no matter where she went it was always work, work, work!

…

The sun beat down heavily on her shoulders, leeching the little water left in her body until she had no choice but to surrender and give up the fight-

"Hey Korra, get up! The plants are not going to water themselves!"

The avatar huffed and picked herself up, making a point to look pained and weary. "You're a slave driver Ryoku! Why did Tenzin hire you?"

"To make your life miserable, Avatar." Ryoku shifted the large wicker basket in her grip, "Besides Miss I'm An Expert Water-Bender It'll Be Done In Five Minutes, you don't have to actually _carry_ the water"

"Big deal, I've been training all morning with the team, and then training with Tenzin, and now I've watered half of the island! I have a right to be tired!" She redirected the stream of water so that it misted over the nearby tulips

"You shall get no sympathy from me" Rio marched off righteously, making sure she flipped her ponytail at least once. Staying in character was hard when one was feeling melancholy. Really, the Fire Nation Special Forces didn't get enough credit for the actors they managed to turn out. Ryoku's thoughts were interrupted as Korra suddenly shouted

"Hey Mako, what'cha doin'?"

Ryoku almost dropped the basket of water in shock. She spun around, stopped, and contemplated the human being that was Mako: he wore his signature coat and scarf, and held in one hand a brown paper bag

"Hey Korra" he was saying, "I had these seeds, but I tried to water one of them and it exploded... do you think Tenzin might know what they are?" he opened the bag, reaching in to take out a specimen to show Korra, until he was broadsided by Ryoku.

"Get your filthy fire-bender hands off of my seeds, you sooty faced cretin!"

Korra's face was shocked, Ryoku's face was determined, and Mako's face was full of dirt. He pushed himself off of the ground, "Who the- it's _you!" _

"So what? Did you touch my seeds?" Ryoku advanced menacingly.

"Why are _you _here! You should be… I dunno, in an alley somewhere?" Mako tried to ignore her black look,

"Did. You. Touch. My. Seeds?"

He was getting nervous, "No! Okay, I didn't touch your seeds; just the one and it blew up! What freaky kind of seeds are those?"

Ryoku breathed a sigh of relief, and flipped her hair over her shoulder for good measure, seeing as she had lapsed earlier. "They're Fire Lily seeds, see the charcoal-like outer layer?" she cautiously held the bag open so he could look inside, "Fire Lilies are extremely volatile and very sensitive to changes in heat. Of course dunking it in cold water affected it!"

She closed the bag, "At least you didn't manage to set the rest of them off" she eyed him speculatively, "Being a firebender and all,"

"Don't look at me like that!" Whatever it was, there was something about this girl that rubbed Mako the wrong way. "Besides, you still haven't said thank-you."

"W-wait, do you two _know _each other?" Korra interrupted

Rio and Mako both shot nasty looks at each other "yeah."

"How?"

Ryoku rubbed her neck awkwardly, "So… I told you about me getting mugged? Well…" she chuckled, "It was sort of me being chased by a pack of the Agni Ki… and um, then Mako sort of saved me…"

"Darn straight!" He snapped, "Thanks to you I've been avoiding some of my favorite kebab stands!"

"Big deal, ferretface!" Rio shot back, flipping her hair again, "The Agni Ki still want to murder me, so you might as well have stayed out of it!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down there guys," Korra held up her hands "Why were the Agni Ki after you anyway?"

"I stole their seeds" Ryoku glared at Mako "Until _someone_ took them!"

He glared back indignantly, "Ha! So they weren't even yours to begin with!"

"Look, Fire Lily seeds on the legal market are-" she named a sun that made Mako gasp, and Korra go white underneath her deep tan. "So I think you can understand why I opted for the black market"

"Well… okay. But stealing from a major gang? You're an idiot!" Korra nodded agreement with Mako's statement

Rio paid no attention as she grinned gleefully at her seeds, _we're back_ they said. "You didn't tell Mako all of my secrets, did you?"

Korra sighed, "Really Rio, you're a ditz ninety percent of the time, and insane the other ten percent"

In response, Ryoku flipped her hair and started walking away, "Whatever. Korra you can give up watering now if you want. I need to prepare these for planting"

Korra punched the air elatedly "Freedom!" she turned to Mako as Rio disappeared along the trail.

"Is your friend always like that?" Mako asked Korra

Korra looked after Rio thoughtfully, "Not really, she must really dislike you. But she is kind of strange, I mean, she talks to _plants_, and flips her hair and stuff" she shrugged, "I guess some people are like that, but…"

"What?"

"When I talked to her earlier today, she seemed like a completely different person. Normally she's really hyper and only takes plants seriously, but she looked almost… sad"

"I don't like her" Mako declared, "It feels like she's hiding something"

Korra was about to comment when she realized that it was _Mako_ she was speaking to, the Mako that barely recognized her presence, the Mako that she maybe, just maybe, not really, well kind of had just the teensiest little itty bitty crush on. "What are you even doing here anyway?"

"I uh…" Mako searched for words, he didn't know himself why he'd come to visit the avatar, after all, the ferry cost _money_, but he had just felt like it, for some reason he couldn't explain. "I'm… um… I'm going to leave now" Smiling awkwardly, he retreated swiftly, not stopping until he was safely on his own doorstep. It was then that he realized he still needed to get Bolin a present.

* * *

_*Kaijin crawling feather vines- a plant found in the cloud-mountains of the eastern earth kingdom characterized by soft fuzzy leaves, and delicate white blossoms that bloom in the early morning_

_**The author has nothing personal against saxophones, it just looked cool next the strangled songbird bit_

* * *

Love the witty banter, if only I could be like Ryoku in real life! Adieu, review, review!


	5. Chapter 5

_Eleven years ago_

_United Forces preliminary training facility_

_Iroh and Ryoku are fourteen_

Punch, kick, pivot, breathe, kick to the side, pivot, breathe, three knife hand strikes in succession, breathe, high kick, low kick, block, breathe, strike… Ryoku went through the form like clockwork; she focused on her breathing, the burning in her arms and legs dropping away into numbness. Sweat dripped into her eyes, but she ignored it after blinking several times. Finally her foot slipped on the mat and she crashed to floor, landing flat on her back in a supremely ungraceful manner. She gasped as the mat drove the breath from her body, shredding her concentration. Rio flopped back to the ground after an unsuccessful attempt at getting to her feet, deciding that her legs just didn't want to cooperate any further.

"Do you mind if I come in?" the voice echoed through the empty dojo. It had the flimsy depth of boy just beginning the transition from a boy's soprano to a man's mellow tenor.

Rio turned her head to the side and saw Iroh standing uncertainly at the edge of the mat. The combination of moonlight from the windows and the lanterns she had lit, painted his face with stripes of silver amidst the gold glow of the flames. One eye was shadowed, metallic and distant while the other reflected the candles, warm and inviting.

"Sure, Snowbell," she panted, flopping back to the ground again.

He chuckled, she was just tired enough to enjoy the sound unabashedly, "What, no bows this time? Won't your dad get mad at you?"

She finally succeeded in sitting up, "He's not my dad." She said, "He's my father. There's a difference"

"Oh, I see…" he sat next to her on the mat. "I'm going to have to come up with a nickname for you, you know" he elbowed her good-naturedly. "What about Tulip? Or maybe Daffodil?"

"No way!" she was finally getting her breath back again, "I am _not _a bulb, thank you very much!"

"Why not?"

"The daffodils are closely related to the narcissuses, and they're nearly as conceited, especially the fancy blue ones from the eastern provinces for one. And the tulips are just…" she searched for the proper word, "I don't know. They're like the people who like getting up early, you know what I mean?"

Iroh stared at her soberly for a moment, "No, actually, I don't."

He kept staring into her eyes, his gaze making her feel strangely vulnerable, though she didn't feel unsafe.

"Why are you here?" he asked suddenly

"To practice." she said simply, gesturing to the room at large.

"No, I mean, why are you here at the academy?" he brandished a finger at her "You're as conceited as a daffodil. You never talk to anyone, and you never ask for help, even though I keep finding you in practice rooms late at night working yourself into exhaustion."

She looked down, wondering how to say it, how to express the myriad reasons she had tried out for the Hokyoku Training Academy for the United Forces. "I don't think you'd understand."

"Try me," his words were simple and clear, and for a second, she felt like she could trust him.

"There's nothing for me, you know, out there," she waved her hand vaguely at the outside. "There's no future. Well…." She smiled bitterly, "I guess there is. You want to know what? I get to grow up, get married, have kids and I'll garden for the rest of my life."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with that" Iroh's voice was soft, and she could see in his face that he didn't understand.

"No, there isn't. I would be happy and everything but…" Ryoku blushed, wishing that she was as articulate as the prince in front of her.

"But what?"

"I don't want to just be happy."

Iroh was clearly taken aback, "Why not?"

"I want everyone else to be happy, too. My mother was a healer." Ryoku looked away again; she couldn't believe she was suddenly telling this random guy all of this, all of the things that she had never told anyone. "She was a healer, and I could see that she made people happy when she healed them. But me?"

She laughed quietly "I'm a fire-bender, from a whole family of water-benders. My mom could heal people. She could find water for people when the wells ran dry. And my dad, he could do it, too. Together, they stopped an entire flood once. But all I can do is burn things; I can't heal people, I can destroy them."

"Ryoku…" Iroh murmured, reaching forward to grasp her shoulder.

She shook off his hand, "So, I thought, why not join the army? I'll go where they need people who can destroy things. And maybe…" her throat burned as she tried to hold back tears. Silently she cursed every hormone in her body. "Maybe if I can save someone, just one person and make them happy, I'll be worth something."

She sniffed and nodded stiffly, "So there you have it. That's why I came, because I'm just a little gardener who isn't worth anything," she stood up, rubbing her face with the back of her hand furiously, "I can't even fire-bend you know. I'm completely horrible at it, but I've still got to try, don't I?"

She was walking towards her water bottle when Iroh grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to face him. The courteous young prince she recognized was gone: the Iroh who faced her had a fire burning deep within his amber eyes. In fact, he was spitting mad.

"Ryoku Zaio, you're an absolute idiot, you know that?"

"I…" she sputtered,

"Do you seriously think that just being a fire-bender means that you're some kind of worthless killer who's only good at burning things?" He was shaking her as he spat out the words, "I'm a fire-bender and I'm not a psychopathic arsonist! If you just want other people to be happy, then that means that you're not one either, so I don't see what you're so worked up about!" he let go of her, opting instead to march a few steps across the room, quivering with righteous anger.

He was spinning back around again when she started giggling. "You're not worthless and in fact I think that- what?"

Her eyes still burned, but she had regained her senses. "I was just thinking that maybe snowbells bloom so early just to spite the winter frost."

The hell-fire and brimstone died, tragically, leaving Iroh nonplussed (it was a feeling he would come to know well around Ryoku). "What?"

She picked up her bag. "I guess you're right about fire-bending, but it's going to take a lot of work before I'm any good with it," she smiled at him, something like melancholy in her eyes. "Goodnight, Snowbell." As she walked out, she heard Iroh remark to thin air,

"I'll never understand girls…"

* * *

such fluffiness, oh the fluffiness... Hope you're enjoying the show! Au revoir.


	6. Chapter 6

_Present, Episode 3_

_Air Temple Island_

Ryoku was woken by an inquisitive flying lemur. She wrestled with the small mammal and managed to detach it from her face with a minimum of fuss. Her room was small and remote compared to the rest of the acolytes since she had rescued it from its fate as an unusually sturdy garden shed. Rio liked it though, as it suited her purposes on the island nicely. It was small but well built, and with a quick trip to the flea market, had been outfitted with a small bed, a small chest, and a small desk for a smashing good steal. Neatly stored in the desk were all of Ryoku's plans for the garden, and a calendar with notes scribbled all over it. Rio picked up the calendar and smiled at it, that day's box was empty.

As Ryoku transferred the lemur to her shoulder, she realized that it was The Day.

"It's almost here, Jeffrey!" she told the lemur excitedly, "The perfect opportunity!" Though, knowing how lemurs liked to gossip amongst themselves, she left out the part where she explained exactly what the opportunity was.

…

Ryoku walked through the gardens towards her construction site. The groundwork was almost complete, and she was ready to draft some more worker bees to start the planting. Ducking inside another shed on the site, she checked the carefully preserved fire lily seeds. They simmered quietly in warm water, only just putting out rootlets. Exiting the shed, she smiled at the chaos of brown earth and equipment. It was good to be a gardener for a while, and she had been working on this design for some time: a circular garden with four interconnecting sections representing each of the elements. The most complicated part of construction, the small stream that would represent water, was almost finished. Later she would add seaweeds and different lotuses, along with some appropriate wetland specimens. For earth she had arranged a rock garden including a species of cactus that was said to bend sand. She had acquired the renowned fire lilies, and plants that attracted fire flies to symbolize fire, and had chosen the Northern Giant Dandelions, and Kaijin Feather Vines and their ilk to represent air. Ryoku had wanted to complete this project ever since she had first seen the annual blossoming of the fire lilies in the Imperial Gardens. She smiled contentedly, and wandered off to breakfast.

"Hi Rio! How's the garden? Is it done yet? Do you like lemurs? It's cold today isn't it? I think-" Ryoku stopped the tide of questions flowing from Ikki's mouth with a well-placed hand.

"The garden is fine," Rio smiled at the exuberant young girl, "Have you seen Korra? I have the day off and I was wondering if she could supervise the earth benders coming today."

Ikki thought it over for about half a second and then blurted at top speed: "No I haven't seen her, maybe Ginorra has, but she went with that cute fire-bender yesterday because someone named bowling was missing, so Korra took Naga and they haven't come back, but maybe she snuck in, so I could ask around, do you think Dad is looking for her?"

Ryoku took a moment to process the run-on sentence, "So, Bolin is missing, and Korra and Mako are looking for him?"

"Um… yeah, I guess so…"

It felt like icy water was dripping down Rio's spine, this was the worst day possible for Korra to get into trouble, and Rio was absolutely certain she would find the Avatar right smack in the middle of it. She turned to Ikki, her countenance no longer pleasant. There was an unusual amount of steely calm in her voice as she said,

"Ikki, find Ginorra, then I need to you to speak with your father. Tell him that Korra's gone missing, and that I'm going to find her. He can't let anyone leave or enter the island, and he needs to establish a watch around the island until Korra is found. Have you got all that?"

Ikki nodded, her eyes wide, "Rio, is Korra okay?"

"Yes, Ikki, Korra's going to be alright." Ryoku ruffled the little girl's hair, "Hurry for me, okay?" before she turned around and sprinted towards the cliffs on the other side of the island.

…

Korra was bent low over Naga's shoulders, urging the polar bear-dog to go faster. Mako had a vise-like grip around her midsection as the dog pounded along the deserted streets of Republic City. She could hear Bolin's muffled shouts: "I… want… to be... on… the back!" but they didn't have time to stop and rearrange. She was absolutely sure there were Equalists just behind them-

"Korra!" Mako shouted in her ear, "Up ahead! Look out-" there was a group of barely distinguishable black figures up ahead, boxing them in.

Korra pulled on the reins and Naga skidded to a stop, the dog tried to turn around, but to Korra's horror the chi-blockers had surrounded them. _How did they find us? _She thought hysterically, _how did they keep up? _

"Bolin!" she croaked, panic crawling up her throat. She slithered out of the saddle, forcing herself to stay calm enough to fight.

"I got it!" Bolin quickly earth-bent some of the chi-blockers back, but they swarmed over the misshapen earth like insects.

There was a flicker of light as Mako attacked from the other side. Korra summoned fire into her hands, cracking a whip of fire at the chi-blocker who was advancing towards her. He-it, swayed and leapt closer, she yelled and kicked at his torso, but he spun around it; the next instant she felt four sharp jabs and she knew she'd lost her bending in that leg. She blocked another strike, but it felt like every time she moved, the chi-blocker was already there. Then she felt his fingers on her throat. She coughed as her air was cut off. She kept struggling, wondering where Mako and Bolin were, but her body was going numb, her vision blackened…

Mako was almost sure he was done for, he had lost bending in one arm, and both his legs, but then the chi-blocker fighting Mako suddenly stopped attacking. He kicked the Equalist in the sternum, dropping the man easily. Then he followed the chi-blocker's line of sight, rounding Naga's side until he saw Korra, collapsed on the ground gasping. A chi-blocker stood over her, but instead of attacking the avatar, it stood in front of her, battling it out with another chi blocker.

"What?" sputtered Mako, around him the fighting stopped. Bolin fell to the ground with a thump.

"Traitor!" Bellowed the chi-blocker who was fighting the turncoat

The traitor silenced him with a spinning kick to the head. The chi-blocker gurgled and fell to the ground, his eyes rolling up in his head.

"I'm not a traitor" the traitor said, her voice was feminine, "I never was"

The fall of the other chi-blocker spurred the rest of them into action. They converged on the girl, but to Mako's surprise she fought them off. He was torn between helping the chi-blocker, and letting them take each other out. The girl, young woman, lady, he couldn't tell how old she was, she blocked, pivoting and knocked one down. She kept moving, kicking another, dropping and exploding upward, hooking her elbow into a chi-blocker's face, they hit the ground also. She never stopped attacking, she never stopped moving. Mako couldn't distinguish whether she was defending herself, but they never seemed to touch her. The last one fell, gasping something as she passed out.

Then she was the only one standing, amidst a pile of bodies. She turned around slowly, stiffly.

"Are you alright?"

Korra nodded slowly, rasping "Who are you?"

In response, the chi-blocker pulled off her hood, it was…

"Rio? But you're…?" Korra breathed

She laughed, "A ditz, I know." She offered Korra her hand, "We don't have much time."

"You- get away from her!" Mako swung at Ryoku wildly. It was instinctive, he hadn't liked her from the start, and now they obviously couldn't trust her. The next thing he knew he was flat on his back, with his arm twisted painfully.

Rio grabbed his lapels and hauled him to his feet- he still hadn't gotten his breath back. Her face was close to his suddenly; her gaze was steely and intense.

"Shut up, and listen closely." She pushed him away, turning around. Then Bolin was there, steadying him.

"All of you, get back on Naga," she stepped away, retrieving her hood. "Amon should have called off the teams, but some haven't gotten the message yet, so stay sharp. If you come across them, earth bending a shell around you is a last resort- that will protect you for a while. Head for the docks, Korra can get you all to the island." Rio paused, "Korra, Mako, can you superheat your bodies, or is that beyond your level?"

"I can," Korra seemed to be regaining her confidence

"Yeah, I think," Mako glared at the gardener, but stayed put.

"If you are attacked, raise the temperature in your arms and legs, it'll burn the chi-blockers- Bolin, try coating yourself with earth." Rio pulled on her hood, "keep moving at all costs, I'll act as a rear-guard, but don't expect me to be there to save you." She started walking away.

"Wait, you haven't-" Korra shouted,

Mako grabbed her arm, "We need to get going!"

…

Tenzin stared at them, pressing his fingers together in his most disapproving mode. Mako, Bolin and Korra stared back. No one spoke, no one moved. Finally, the door peeled open with a rattle. Korra turned around expecting it to be Pema, but Rio walked in. Her steps squelched on the floor, and water dripped from her clothing. She grabbed a chair and turned it around, collapsing on it so that her arms were braced against the back.

"Enemy forces are neutralized." she said tiredly. "You can tell the acolytes to stand down, Tenzin"

"What is the meaning of this?" roared Tenzin suddenly, standing up to his full, towering six feet two inches. "I have been informed that you are an Equalist spy, and that you saved the avatar and her friends. We trusted you, and this is how you repay us?"

"Your trust is well placed." Rio didn't move, "And Mako? Don't even think about trying to jump me."

Mako sputtered, how had she known what he was thinking? "How can we trust you?" he said icily, "You're a spy, and then you turned on your own organization!"

"I was never part of the Equalists," she replied, "Well, no actually... That's a lie, but I'm not anymore,"

"What does that mean?" cried Tenzin, "If your actions hadn't saved Korra, you would be in dire straits right now! How can you not be an Equalist if you work for them?"

"I'm a double agent," Ryoku said offhandedly. She went on: "For a while I believed in the Equalist message, I mean, who wouldn't? You may not believe it, but non-benders are extremely underprivileged in regards to benders. There isn't a single world leader that isn't a bender, but-" she said quickly seeing the looks on her audience's faces, "The Equalist cause defeats itself. They have already become what they seek to eradicate, they're taking the old divisions and switching them around so nothing actually changes. They profess equality, but they show far greater cruelty than anything the bender administration has attempted so far."

She shrugged, "Anyone with a brain couldn't stay a part of that"

"But he has so many followers…" interjected Korra, "He said the spirits were guiding him."

Ryoku shrugged, "If the spirits wanted bending gone, they would make you their vessel, not a psychopath like Amon. He needs the justification of spirits, as well as their allure". She stifled a yawn, "It's not just the message of something that draws followers, it the opportunity for action. The "spirits" both legitimatize Amon, and give him the political power to command because people believe he can actually bring about change."

"I guess that makes sense…" said Bolin, "But how does he take away bending? It looked pretty real to me…"

"It's not spirits, we know that." Korra said,

"So it has to be something else…" Mako mused, unconsciously they looked at Ryoku.

"Don't look at_ me_!" She exclaimed throwing her hands up, "I haven't infiltrated _that_ far yet!"

"Anyway-" she continued, standing, "I am beat, so I'll see y'all in the morning." She waved goodbye before sidling out the door.

"Wait, you can't leave yet!" Tenzin rushed to the doorway, intending to trap her with his air-bending, but she had disappeared, leaving mystery in her wake.

* * *

A/N: GASP! Double agents! Hope you're still enjoying!


	7. Chapter 7

So... I just realized that I haven't included a disclaimer yet... all characters/events/world from the anime are not mine! only the OCs.

* * *

_Present, circa Episode 3_

_F.N.S. Western Sun, Iroh's office_

For the first time, in a very long time, Iroh the younger was not doing paperwork. Instead, he was making jewelry. Very carefully, with much focus and a lot of swearing because ivory beads are slippery. He was just finishing the necklace when his first mate, an obsessively tidy and horribly uncouth man by the name of Arthur, knocked on his door. He could tell that it was Arthur because he battered the door successively until Iroh sighed and opened it for him. By contrast, the second mate of the F.N.S. Western Sun was habitually untidy, but extremely proper in all other regards, including knocking, which he did softly.

"You know I keep it unlocked don't you?"

"Of course I do, I just like making you open it for me." Arthur snickered.

"What if I don't next time?"

Arthur snorted, "Then you'll just have to live without your fabulously important expense reports from shore leave last week, and then you'll wither away and die from a lack of paperwork." He threw the files on Iroh's desk sarcastically, being the only person audacious enough to be sarcastic in the General's presence. Of course, his degree in accounting, and metal-bending expertise was enough to let him get away with it most of the time.

"Arthur, sarcasm is not becoming of an officer you know" Kenji had entered quietly as was his wont.

"Did you finish processing the scout reports?" Iroh swatted away Arthur's hand which was attempting to inspect his project.

"Oh well…" Kenji cleared his throat, looking sheepish.

"Make it a verbal report" Iroh took out a pen and paper from his desk.

"Ah yes, well, we're clear in all quadrants"  
"That's it?"

"Yes, absolutely no company as of last rotation," Kenji hesitated, "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Go ahead"

"The orders from Her Imperial Majesty did not specify a route to Republic city… shouldn't we approach from along the coast? And…"

"Yes?"

"Why… why are we going to Republic City? There are other forces much closer than our position…"

"You're an idiot Kenji." Arthur growled, "A coastal route would take longer. We're going to Republic City because our fearless leader is the only one who doesn't underestimate the Equalists. He's the only one who won't make a mess of things in the City when we get there."

"I don't understand!" Kenji interrupted Arthur with the ease of habit, "There are better uses for the Western Sun than cleaning up Republic City's mess. We had another mission which was of more importance than breaking a minor political movement!"

"Didn't you hear me the first time?" Arthur snapped, "General Iroh-"

"Enough." One word from Iroh silenced them both. Kenji looked away while Arthur glared at his shoes.

"I understand that eliminating piracy along the Falkan coast is the reason that you enlisted, Second Officer Masumo, and you are right: our priority is not a minor political movement. It is a militant global organization with aspirations towards the displacement of world affairs and an ideological commitment to eliminating bending from the earth."

"I see sir, but General, you can't possibly believe those rumors, there hasn't-"

Iroh stood up, his countenance suddenly stormy. His gaze was intense as it rested on his second mate, "I started those rumors because of the assassination attempt upon my sister's life."

Kenji paled, "That was…" Arthur managed to look taken aback and sarcastic at the same time.

"Furthermore, the Equalists would have succeeded in their assassination if not for the sacrifice of a very dear friend of mine. The Equalists are not a minor problem, they are a major threat and the military should treat them as such. _That_ is Her Majesty's purpose in sending the Western Sun to Republic City."

Iroh sat down again, picking up the files that Arthur had given him. "Does that answer your question?"

Kenji gulped, "Yes, sir"

"Good, you are dismissed. Send word if the scouts pick up anything, no matter what it is."

"Yes, sir" Kenji left, leaving Arthur to fling himself into a chair across from Iroh.

"'A very dear friend of mine'? did she really mean that much to you?"

"Anything out of the ordinary with our suppliers?"

"Was she a dear friend or something else?"

"About those expense reports…"

"She was something else wasn't she?"

"Expenses, Arthur…"

I heard you two were in the same squad in officer's school,"

"Arthur! I will wither away and die from a lack of paperwork if we don't discuss these expense reports!"

"Do you really think she's dead?"

Silence.

"She has to be."

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New chapter yay! I just found out that 89 people have viewed this story, no reviews yet, but 89 people! I'm psyched! This is great, totally made my day. Until next time!


	8. Chapter 8

_Roughly seven years ago_

_United Forces Naval Academy_

_Iroh and Ryoku are seventeen_

"Hey, Snowbell!" Iroh turned around; ready to snap a retort at the young woman he knew was behind him, but Ryoku got there first.

"Don't even think about it Snowbell," she flippantly placed a finger on his lips, "If you call me Tulip again, bad things are going to happen to you."

"Sure thing… Tulip," She saw the mischievous glint in Iroh's eyes, they'd been playing this game for four years now as they worked their way through the Naval Academy.

"That's it… I'm putting food dye in your tea again."

Iroh blanched: he'd had blue teeth for three days after that particular prank. "I'll have to find something else to call you, then."

"How about my name, genius?" Ryoku was the only girl who talked to him with the same sarcasm as a man.

"You never call _me_ by _my _given name."

"Yeah, well, I can't be calling you Prince Iroh all the time," she answered, "You might remember your station or something."

He laughed, "Heaven forbid I act like a prince."

"Exactly. As your friend, it is my solemn duty to make sure that you don't turn into a stuffed tunic like all of your father's advisors."

Iroh grinned into the brilliant spring day. He was going to be eighteen in the next week, and had felt the increasing pressure at court to be a proper gentleman. Even though he felt at ease consorting with nobles, he was beginning to realize that he was happiest when he was in the company of his friends at the academy.

"Oh, Prince Iroh, I've been looking all over for you!"

A happiness that was constantly invaded by the individuals Ryoku called by many derogatory names that made their presence bearable, like the simpering stalkers, or the Gold-digger club, or the fan girl alliance.

The current speaker had silken, shiny black hair, and a china doll-like face. "You're in Kazuka's class, right?"

"Yeah, her history class…" Iroh responded with trepidation, he never knew what would set a fan girl off.

"Thank the spirits!" she sighed, "I'm totally stumped on what to write for my essay…" she looked at him hopefully, "Do you think you could help me? You've got the highest grade in the class."

"Sure." Iroh agreed, surprised that she was so sincere. Offhandedly, he noticed how pretty she was, in a fragile kind of way, like a fairy.

"Thanks so much, I'm Zulika, by the way."

Iroh couldn't remember if he'd ever seen Zulika around before, she seemed nice enough. He bowed deeply, "It's a pleasure to meet you," and was rewarded with a slight blush. When he straightened, he saw Ryoku waving goodbye as she walked away.

"I'll leave you guys to it, see you later Iroh!" she called, before mouthing _lovebirds _at him, and flapping her arms.

She cackled as he sighed, and turned back to Zulika. "So, do you have any ideas at all?"

Zulika was staring after Rio, "That girl can be so weird sometimes; I'd almost think she was a boy."

Iroh shrugged, "That's just Ryoku. Why do you say she's weird?"

"She never really talks to the girls, and she pretty much follows you around." Zulika blushed suddenly, "I mean, you two aren't…?"

"What? No…" Iroh shifted uneasily, "She's just a friend."

"Oh… there was just this rumor going around." Zulika played with a bit of her hair thoughtfully, and Iroh noticed how it glinted in the sun, like ebony silk. "But anyway, I was thinking of writing a thesis about the home front during the Hundred Years War, but I can't find much about it in the textbooks."

"Actually, you might want to talk to Rio about that," Iroh said, "She's great at history."

"Really?" Zulika looked doubtful, "But she only gets Bs on her papers… I've seen them sometimes."

"She's dyslexic," Iroh explained, "I think she has a hard time putting her thoughts down on paper. If you talked to her about anything in the textbook she could tell you everything you need to know."

"I don't think I'm allowed to use another student as a source, Prince Iroh," Zulika laughed.

"Then let's go to the library," Iroh proffered his arm, "and you can call me Iroh if you'd like."

"I think I will… Iroh," Zulika smiled, and in the shade of an oak tree further down the path, Ryoku Zaio tried to figure out why she suddenly hated someone just for talking to her best friend.

…

When Iroh next encountered Ryoku, she was did not look like a china doll, nor did she resemble a fairy, unless it was a mud covered gnome. It was pouring outside, and she gradually left a trail of puddles behind her as she walked through the training halls towards the girls' dormitories.

"Hey… Rio!" Iroh appeared at her side, he had a bag of books slung over his shoulder. "Where've you been? I haven't seen you in a couple of days."

"Oh… uh…" Ryoku had tried to adjust to her strange animosity towards Zulika, but somehow she hadn't been able to suppress her dislike of the girl. For some reason, seeing them together made her feel… bad somehow. Zulika and Iroh had been studying together for the finals, and rather than ruin his new friendship, Rio had opted to stay away from them as much as possible.

"I've just been y'know, training really hard, lately…"

"For the firebending exams? Look, I know you've got them in the bag, why are you so worried about it?"

"Pakku's going to put the dragon punch on the exam and I still can't do it. You know he wants to fail me."

"You could have asked me for help, you know." Ryoku wondered why Iroh always had to be so nice; it made it harder to be angry at him for hanging out with Zulika.

"Well… actually…" Rio started slowly, "I figured you'd want to be alone with that girl you're studying with, you obviously like her."

To her surprise, he laughed, "Is that what this is about? She wouldn't care. Besides your fighting styles are really similar, I think you'd benefit from working with her."

"I… Sure." Rio dragged one hand through dripping locks.

"Cool, we've been working just after classes, in gym seven." Iroh reached over and flicked a blob of mud from Ryoku's shoulder. "So what's with the facial anyway?"

She bumped his shoulder with hers, and chuckled. "I felt the pressing need to go run in the rain."

"Are you that worried about finals?"

"Yeah…" she shrugged, "I'm not smart like you, Iroh, and this is really important."

"Then come train with us. But, just so you know," Iroh clapped her on the shoulder and received a layer of dirt on his palm, "I know you're going to do well."

"Yeah, thanks." Ryoku kept walking as Iroh jogged back towards the men's barracks, and she thought about how bad an idea training with someone she was coming to regard as a rival was.

…

Zulika doubled over, gasping for breath, her face contorted. Strands of her thick straight hair had escaped her perfectly manicured ponytail.

"Are you okay?" Rio gasped, rushing forward before hesitating.

"Rio, what'd you _do_?" Iroh ran to the center of the gym, his hands going to Zulika's shoulders, trying to straighten her diaphragm.

"I didn't do anything!" Rio yelped, wanting to see if the other girl was okay, but Iroh had stepped in between them protectively. "She attacked, and then I sidestepped, and she was wide open, I swear I didn't-"

"yes, you did!" Zulika choked out.

"Ryoku!" Iroh admonished, "You should-"

"Should what?" Rio asked, wondering why she suddenly felt anger clawing at her insides, a small voice in the back of her head said that it was the concern in Iroh's eyes as he held the girl. "I'm sorry, Zulika, but that was a beginner's mistake; during the finals nobody's going to let that slide!"

"Well, still…" Iroh protested, "This isn't like you, you have great control!"

"I didn't mean to!" she snapped, while unsure as to why they were arguing, "She was moving faster than I thought, and then… I just-" she buried a hand in her hair, "Do you feel any better?"

"You just kicked me pretty hard," Zulika said, leaning on Iroh. "I'll be okay…"

"You should sit down, or go to the infirmary or something." Rio said, feeling sick as she watched Zulika. She hadn't meant to hit Zulika, she had just been distracted as they had dueled- distracted by how likeable the other teenager was, why she still disliked her anyway.

"Yeah, I'll go." Zulika started walking towards the exit, Iroh followed before she stopped him, "I think you and Rio need to talk."

"Okay…" after one last look, Iroh turned around to find an empty gym, and the clang of a swiftly closed door.

* * *

Oh dear, teenage awkwardness!


	9. Chapter 9

_Present, circa Episode 4 _

_Air Temple Island_

A week later, Korra joined Tarrlok's task force, and foolishly challenged Amon. After Korra's narrow escape, Ryoku became a constant silent presence beside Korra. Her manner didn't ever change, but the Fire Ferrets could tell that Korra's actions had worried Rio when she spontaneously attended their practices, despite Mako's distrust. She never offered any advice, but every once in a while, Korra would look over at her silent guardian and find a small smile on the girl's face.

It was dark, even for a December evening; the stars were hidden by a heavy layer of clouds. The light from the lamps dotting the paths of Air Temple Island was weighed down by the resolute black of the sky, and hid close to its sources. Every once in a while, a flying lemur would circle one of the lamps throwing fantastic shadows on the ground before it disappeared into the shadows in search of food. One such lemur was just dramatically making its entrance when it ran into Ryoku's head.

"Watch it, Jeffrey!" she snapped, detangling the stunned lemur from her hair. "What is it with you and sitting on my head anyway?"

The lemur purred and dug in its small hands, nesting contentedly, and ruining any semblance of order in Rio's coiffeur.

"Talking to lemurs again, Rio?" Ikki giggled,

"Of course, all of the flowers are asleep." Ryoku said by way of explanation.

Ryoku took the basket of fruit from Ikki and lifted it so that the taller Ginorra could fill the feeder with both hands. "So… what were you girls giggling about back here?"

Ginorra answered dreamily, "We were talking about how much Korra loves Mako, and how she might go about winning over his heart."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, whatever…" Korra muttered, looking away, a momentary melancholy on her face.

"Well, I'm of no help in the romantic department," Rio said airily,

"Beating up chi-blockers is more your thing, huh?" Korra snipped. The question of Rio's dubious past was still a slight bone of contention in the days after their escape from the Equalists.

"Really, Rio? Why?" asked Ikki curiously

"I'm just a hopeless romantic with horrible track record, Ikki, that's all" Rio put down the empty basket, and patted Jeffrey on the head, causing him to purr and jump back to her cranium.

"Have you ever been in love, Rio?" Korra asked as she looked up at the starless sky.

Ryoku paused, leaning against one of the gnarled trees, "Yes."

Korra sighed, "What was it like?"

"It was… very complicated."

"Well, that helps a ton," Korra whined. "Who were you in love with?" Her imagination was held captive by the mysterious past of her friend.

Ryoku shifted uncomfortably, petting the lemur in her arms. "It's… complicated."

"Aww… come on, Rio!" Ikki tugged on Rio's sleeve, "Tell us!"

Ginorra sighed rapturously, "What did he look like? Was he _romantic?_"

"Definitely not," Rio smiled, "He was tall, and he was handsome, but I remember most that he was kind." Upon seeing the looks on Ikki and Ginorra's faces, she resolved to escape as soon as possible, for fear of letting everything slip. Pausing in her motion, she turned to face Korra,

"Korra?"

"Yeah?"

The lamp light flickered over Ryoku's face, throwing half into darkness and half into light, and illuminating the stray strands around her head into a halo. She looked old somehow, even though her face was young. "This guy you're crazy about, even he likes someone else… just make sure he's worth it- or you're hurting yourself for nothing."

Korra was slightly unnerved to see a small, sad smile on Ryoku's face as she walked away, waving farewell.

"Korra!" Ikki interrupted, "Why don't we ask mom what _she _thinks?"

…

The next day Korra expected Ryoku to come to their big game, but instead of following her to the arena, the gardener said that there was somewhere else she needed to be, and that she wouldn't be at the match. Korra had felt almost disappointed, but then as the Fire Ferrets proceeded to trip over themselves, she was glad that the enigmatic gardener hadn't come to watch. Still, Korra was proud of the way they had straightened themselves out and won in the end.

As the days wore on, Ryoku was gone more and more often. The elements garden slowly took shape, morphing from piles of dirt and tools, to organized hillocks of material and orderly landscaping. Even though she frequently disappeared, Ryoku took interest in Korra's training. She would watch as Korra struggled with air-bending, and occasionally offer an encouraging remark. As hard as Korra and Ikki tried, they couldn't seem to pry any information from the gardener regarding her past. However, as the final match against the Wolf Bats approached, there was a thaw in Rio's distance. One day she showed up at one of the Fire Ferret's practices.

"Hey, Rio!" Bolin exclaimed as Rio followed Korra through the gym door.

"This is a _team_ practice," Mako remarked snidely, "For the _team_."

"Who said I was here for the _team _practice?" Rio shot back, "I need practice too."

"For your chi-blocking?" Bolin asked nervously, edging behind his brother.

"Yeah, I'll just be down the hall." Ryoku brushed past Mako, "So don't get your knickers in a twist, ferret boy."

"Don't call me that!" Mako replied mechanically.

"Whatever, ferret boy."

"It's not even my ferret!"

Bolin looked forlornly at the door as it swung shut. "How come I don't get a nickname?" Korra snickered.

Bolin turned towards her curiously, "What?"

"I don't know if it's a nickname, but she kind of calls you a daisy…" Korra shrugged as Bolin groaned indignantly and Mako collapsed in laughter. "I have no idea why, but I mean it sort of fits…"

"I'm not a _daisy_!" Bolin wailed, "I'm a manly _man_! Right, Pabu?"

The ferret chittered. Bolin hugged the small rodent, "I knew you would agree with me, buddy!"

Pabu then leapt from Bolin's arms to avoid the sluggish medicine ball that was thrown at him.

"Practice, Bolin!"

…

"Watch out, Mako!" Korra cried as some debris from Bolin's earth-bending flew towards the fire-bender.

Quickly, Mako leaped out of the way, executing a spinning kick and charring the rock as he did so. Korra clapped,

"Nice one!" she grinned.

Mako flashed a rare smile: he had been working on the kick for some time. Then someone wolf-whistled, Mako turned around and saw Ryoku leaning idly against the gym doors.

She stuck out five fingers, "I'd give that a five for style and swift execution." She teased.

"I think it was a ten!" countered Bolin, "Mako was totally surprised when he kicked…"

"But his weight needs to be a bit farther back." Rio replied, "It was a good kick, but the torso can't be scrunched up if you want maximum force. Besides, if your weight is back, your balance and recovery is better, that would allow Mako to set up more techniques for a continuing line of attack, isn't that right, Mr. Hat-trick?" She raised her eyebrows at Mako expectantly.

He scowled, "Yeah, she's right, my weight needed to be farther back. Getting in more kicks is a better strategy than just one big technique…"

"Where'd you learn so much about fire-bending, Rio?" Korra asked.

Rio shrugged, "You forget, I trained in the Fire Nation military. I worked closely with all sorts of benders, so I know a lot about bending." She continued, "In the middle of combat, you never know who you'll be fighting against, or if they can bend, so it pays to be educated about many different fighting styles."

"Wow…" Bolin said, "Did you see a lot of combat?"

Ryoku smiled, "Yeah. I was drafted into the Special Forces when I was eighteen, so I stayed on the frontlines a lot." She picked up her gym bag from the floor, "Anyway, your offense is good, just work on your recovery time."

"Rio, where are you going?" Korra inquired as the black-haired girl padded towards the door.

"That's classified," Rio sang, "See you later, Daisy."

Bolin wilted.

* * *

A/N: Woohoo! two reviews! the rest of you are off the hook now, unless you've got some constructive criticism, in which case, type to your heart's content.

to Smg55: Merci beaucoup! I'm glad to hear that you like it, fear not: Rio is not dead... it's just that everyone she knew before her arrival in Republic City _thinks_ she's dead...

to whitwhit1893: Merci to you as well, sometimes I forget that you readers don't have the whole story outlined in your heads like I do, ha ha. you mentioned that some events seemed random, so I tried to clarify things by including the time, relation to the development of the cartoon, and location of each chapter at the start. Also, the chapters follow a pattern of Ryoku's present, Iroh's present, and then Iroha and Ryoku's past. I may have slipped up, but hopefully the annotation at the beginning will help you out. Keep in mind that I'm leaving some things mysterious for a reason, it will all be explained by the end. If it's conventions editing you meant, I don't have a beta (That's what they're called, I believe), but my mother is a wonderful writer, and she might look it over for me. Hope this helps!

Au revoir...

8/4/14: so sorry everyone! I've spent the last month as an intern at a Girl Scout camp and on a mission trip, so I've been cut off from all technology... I would update before I leave for another week at camp, but in transit I lost the flash drive with ALL of my stories on it! Unfortunately, I won't be able to update until I find that flash drive. If I can't find it, I'll just have to start over from chapter 9, which sucks because I wrote a ton recently, anyway, that's the current situation. Thanks to all the new favorites!


	10. Chapter 10

And we're back! Though you may not believe your eyes, this is indeed an update. I have, regrettably, been unable to locate my flash-drive, but no matter: I have begun re-writing everything. It will be arduous and somewhat torturous, but I persevere for the kind souls who want to read about Ryoku, Iroh and their adventures with Korra. A word of warning- updates will still be a little slow, unfortunately...

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_Time: present, circa episode 4_

_Location: Iroh's office, F.N.S. Western Sun _

Iroh looked up from his desk as someone tapped on the door to his office.

"Come in," he called, picking up another pen.

The door creaked slightly as it swung open, revealing a teenager bestowed with a large, regal bird on his arm. "General Iroh, sir! There's a hawk for you, sir!" He hastily snapped to attention and saluted with his free hand.

"At ease, Ensign," Iroh said as he lazily returned the salute. He bent and rummaged through the bottom drawers of his desk for his set of leather falconer's gloves. The boy quietly calmed the bird as it began to fiddle with the message attached to its leg, getting a quick snap for his trouble. He looked to be sixteen, the lowest age permissible by the navy, and was obviously employed as an aid to the ship's hawk-master (one of the few non-combative positions available).

Iroh slipped the left glove on and held out his arm for the hawk. It beat its wings heavily and was soon perched on his wrist. The ensign appeared awed at stepping foot into the general's office, and at the easy manner with which he commanded the deadly bird. Iroh was certain that the boy's arms were covered in scratches despite the protective gloves he wore.

Iroh smiled at him kindly, "Hawk release codes are classification level delta, ensign…?"

"Harris, sir!" he saluted again.

"Well, ensign Harris, hawk release codes are classification delta, so you may be dismissed. Please remain outside to receive the hawk, also."

"Yes, sir, sorry sir…" the boy stammered as he made for the door, "I'll be going, sir!"

Iroh chuckled to himself as he regarded the hawk on his arm. A quick check of the jesses tied to the hawk's legs, and Iroh laughed again.

"I haven't seen you in some time, Hawkman" He held out his hand near the bird's feet, "Release package, Hawk 607, summer nights."

The hawk eyed Iroh and, judging him to be satisfactory, stuck out his leg so that Iroh could remove the small scroll tied there. Hawks, while sometimes cranky and more difficult to train than carrier pigeons, were prized for their ability to fly long distances and to protect their messages at all costs. It was for this reason that hawks were used almost exclusively for highly classified information, or for Special Forces intelligence. This hawk in particular, Hawk 607, had originated from Special Forces Squad 6; denoted by the first numeral, 6, and the last two digits signifying its place as the seventh hawk of that squad. Even so, the junior members in many squads nicknamed their birds since it was their duty to care for the hawks. Iroh reached out with one heavily protected hand and stroked the bird's head softly,

"What could this be about?" he asked it jokingly, "The Western Sun isn't slated to host a Spook Squad for another tour or so."

The hawk impatiently jiggled its leg. Hawkman wanted his dinner, and he wouldn't get it until the strange being in front of him took the strange thing off of his leg.

"Fine," Iroh plucked the scroll from the bird and then lofted Hawkman towards a perch in the corner of his office. Iroh was about to call in Ensign Harris to take back his hawk when he became intrigued by a phrase containing "Future Industries" in it. As he began to read the entire message his countenance became steadily darker. Harris would have to wait: the message claimed that Future Industries was supplying the Equalists. Iroh felt as if someone had poured ice water down his back, almost all of his beloved Western Sun had been crafted by Future Industries- all of the technological and communications systems, the engines, generators and even some of the weaponry. The message had no indication of origin so the contents couldn't be entirely trusted, but caution was still the best option.

Iroh picked up the intercom radio piece,

"This is the general speaking, the first mate to my office, along with the chief of engineers, please."

Then he sat behind his desk and waited for Arthur, and chief engineer Aido Fukiko to knock on his door. Presumably the Chief claimed the job of knocking because seven minutes later Iroh heard three soft knocks.

"Enter."

Arthur, and Aido shuffled in. Arthur was intent, but Aido seemed more disgruntled. He polished his little round glasses with a soft cloth he kept in the thick leather tool-belt he was fond of wearing. Iroh noticed that his hands were smeared with grease.

"Chief Fukiko, did I pull you away from something?" he inquired after receiving their salutes.

"We were flushing out a strange sound in one of the engines, sir." Aido said gruffly, Iroh's heart sank.

"But it was nothing more than some loose ball bearings," the engineer continued, "The sub-engineers are removing them now. Engine performance shouldn't be disrupted at all, we can maintain our current speed and course."

Iroh visibly relaxed, "Good." Then he tapped the papers on his desk, "I have received word that Future Industries may be implicated in the Equalist movement."

Arthur scowled, "But, sir, we were just outfitted with Future Industries equipment at our last dry dock!"

"Which is why," Iroh nodded towards Chief Aido, "You will be working with the Chief here to both examine every piece of Future Industries equipment for tampering. Also, I am tasking you with evaluating our weaponry and I want a report on our battle capabilities minus anything from Future Industries, should the situation go awry. I expect your first report in three days."

Arthur snapped to attention, as did Aido. "Yes, sir!" they chorused.

"That is all, but-" the general amended himself, "This is sensitive information with no point of origin, be discrete until we know if our fears are well-founded."

They said their affirmatives in unison, and then walked from the office, Chief Fukiko already deep in discussion with Arthur.

As Engisn Harris quietly came in to reclaim Hawkman, Iroh grimly regarded the posters of his ship's schematics tacked to the wall. He had never lost a ship, and he wasn't about to start with the Western Sun.


	11. Chapter 11

_Time: past, roughly seven years ago. _

_Iroh and Ryoku are seventeen. _

_Location: United Forces Naval Academy, Gym 7 _

The gym door swung shut with the creaking shudder of old metal, and Iroh was alone. His steps echoed hollowly as he walked through the now empty gym. He shook his head as he walked, not understanding how or why Ryoku was upset enough to run away, something he knew she hated. He was confused by the strange aloofness that she had adopted, and frustrated with the sudden turn of events.

He found Rio around the corner, slumped against the wall, her knees drawn tightly to her chest and her chin tucked between them. She looked smaller and younger than she had in long time. She didn't look up as Iroh stopped in front of here, his boots clacking forcefully on the tile floor.

"What's up with you, Rio?" he snapped, "One minute you're like my best friend and then suddenly you're avoiding me, and distracted, and… it's weird, okay? It's not like you!"

He was met with silence as, if anything, Rio curled herself tighter.

"I'm serious!" Iroh knelt and tried to find her face in the dim lighting of the dark hallway, "Ryoku Zaio, what's wrong? Last week this never would have happened. What aren't you telling me?"

He gave up and sighed gustily, raking a hand through his hair, "I can't change whatever it is that's making you mad until you tell me what it is!"

Iroh sat next to her and slung an arm over her shoulders, "Please?"

"I'm jealous." She muttered from within the shelter of her arms.

"What?"

"I said: 'I'm jealous'." She repeated more loudly.

"But… _why?_" Iroh sputtered, "Of Zulika? But that's totally…"

"Ridiculous?" Rio spat, suddenly heated. "Believe me, I _know_. What do think I've been trying to figure out for the last three days?"

"Then…"

"I didn't _ask_ to get all jealous and weird, okay?" She continued, cutting him off as if suddenly freed from the silence she'd treated him to since he met Zulika. "I'm just going to ignore it until it goes away."

"Do you remember when Holberson lectured us all last year about battlefield perceptions? She said that sometimes the weakest part of a soldier is his mind. Well that's all this is, it's just me being weird, and if I concentrate on what I know is true it'll just disappear." She ended with a huff, but refused to look him in the eye. "So it's not your problem anyway."

Iroh nodded slowly, "Okay…"

Ryoku opened her mouth again, but she didn't say anything as the arm around her shoulders tightened slightly.

"I just want you to know you're still my best friend." He said softly, "nothing's going to change that, so you don't have to be jealous. Sound fair?"

After an incredibly long moment in which Iroh nearly died of hypertension, Rio uncurled herself and smiled decisively at him. "Okay."

The breath he'd been holding suddenly escaped and the young man deflated against the wall, "Good, we'll be like two peas in a pod again."

"Except we're not peas," Rio interjected, "You can be a pea if you want, but _I'm_ not a pea."

"Fine, we don't have to be peas." Iroh could feel a smile tugging at his mouth. Even in the few days she'd been ignoring him, he had missed the "old" Ryoku, plant references and all.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a habit he had recently acquired. "I wish that you would stop separating our problems, Rio."

"What do you mean?" she asked, resting her chin on her arms.

"Whenever we fight or something goes wrong you always say something like 'It's not your problem' or 'I have to deal with it.' And I just wish you'd realize that you don't always have to fix things by yourself."

"But you shouldn't have to make up for a mistake that _I _made," she protested, "That's not fair."

"That's what friends are _for_, you tulip." Iroh retorted, "but I'll leave that fight for another day." He hugged her shoulders one last time and stood up, stretching tiredly.

"I should go to the infirmary, and check up on Zulika or something."

Ryoku got her feet as well, dusting off her pants. "I'll go too."

Iroh looked at her quizzically, "Are you sure?"

She shrugged, "Yeah, why not? I really do feel bad."

"Would that be a good idea…?"

She groaned, "_This _is why I didn't want to tell you! I'm not going to get all creepy and write on her bedroom wall in blood, or something stupid like that!"

Iroh held up his hands defensively, "Alright, alright! You can come, it's just," he punched her shoulder good naturedly, "You can be pretty scary when you want to be."

"News flash, genius," drawled Ryoku, "We're in the military; it's our job to be scary."

"Point taken." Iroh shoved his hands into his pockets, "So... where are you planning to go after we graduate?"

"We've talked about this. I don't really care where as long as I spend as little time as possible at home." She said it definitively, with a little bob of her head.

"You really need to start talking to your dad, Rio." Iroh said, already bracing for her withering look, "Once you ship out, you might never see him again."

"Yeah… but," she sighed quietly, "He doesn't care. Maybe I don't either."

They didn't speak again until they reached the infirmary where the matronly nurse shooed them off to their barracks. Finals were next week, after all. But after she had reached her room, Ryoku took down a dusty shoebox from the top of her dresser and gazed at the ivory hairpieces nestled inside. Then she dug into the bottom of the box and withdrew several pieces of ivory. Then she got to work.

* * *

How I abhor drama... This was horribly difficult for me to write- why must I torture my characters so? Anyway...

To Smg55- thanks for that kind review, it is actually Fortune Industries, I would try to use the excuse of being marginally dyslexic but really it was just my bad... but I fixed it. I'm honored that you're enjoying Iroh and Ryoku's story, even with the drama.

To the new followers/favorites (SmartOotori, hoove-print-on-your-heart, etc.) Welcome aboard! I am similarly honored to have you as readers. And hoove-print-on-your-heart, I idly checked your profile after the "new follower" message, and was pleasantly surprised- I did not expect such uplifting messages so early in the morning! Keep on supporting what you do, I whole heartedly agree.

Adieu!


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